A Christmas Miracle

Do you know what it’s like to need a Christmas miracle? 

I do. And to this day that miracle-needing time in our lives became the one Christmas we will never forget. 

Five days before Christmas, my family had no job, no money, and no gifts under our little Christmas tree propped in the corner. Our three children had taken the news “No gifts this year” bravely. They were sad but accepted that this year we would focus on Christ’s humble birth, make little gifts for each other, and bake cookies together. We all agreed that no one would tell anyone outside of our family our plans for a warm, cozy, but bleak holiday. 

Christmas that year was on Saturday. Imagine our surprise when, on the Monday before Christmas, a knock came on our door at dinnertime. Three friends arrived with gifts, which they placed under the small, empty Christmas tree. Back and forth they went, until the floor was piled high with gifts.

“This is going to be the best Christmas ever!” exclaimed our children.

“We have a little something extra,” said one of these friends, handing me an envelope. In it were five movie tickets (we had not been to a movie all year), and a check for $127 dollars. “Just a little extra from your many friends who love you.”

We finished our dinner in wonder, thanking our Savior for a surprise “save!”

Friday morning found us packing the van with clothes, children, a dog and a cat, and three large black garbage bags in which we put our unopened gifts. Up they went with the clothes into the cargo carrier, firmly closed atop the van, and off we went to Southern California to spend Christmas with my parents. 

By 4:00 pm we found ourselves in the carpool lane, stopped due to Friday’s rush hour traffic, horns honking at us. Our annoyed and exhausted response was, “We can’t go any faster than the car in front of us!” At the same moment, the alternator indicator began to fluctuate. We knew that meant trouble, and so my husband made his way across seven lanes of traffic to the right-hand shoulder. 

To our surprise, a woman followed us across and stepped out of her vehicle saying, “You’ve been losing Christmas gifts on the freeway!” Sure enough, the latch on the cargo carrier had broken, and the clothes were there, but not a single gift. We were stunned.

“This is going to be the worst Christmas ever!” moaned our youngest daughter.

We didn’t know what else to do but pray, “Lord, you know what has happened. Please, we need a miracle. Show us what to do.”

Without my husband saying anything, I already knew what he was planning to do. He was going to exit the freeway, cross the bridge and re-enter the freeway to find the gifts. He was then going to put the car in park and grab the gifts… wherever they were. I continued to pray silently and even more desperately, Lord we could spend Christmas in the ER! Please help! We need Your intervention. 

As we were crossing the bridge, the alternator fully died. Losing the steering and braking capacity of the van was frightening. But as God would have it, we coasted safely into a large, empty parking area with a garage and a mechanic at the end of the lot.

My husband propped up the hood of the van and walked, shoulders slumped, to see if the mechanic was still there at 4:30 pm on Friday, December 24. It was unlikely, but there was a chance. Meanwhile the children and I prayed again for help. To our surprise, up pulled a sheriff’s car driven by an officer with the biggest Navy Seal tattoo on his forearm I’d ever seen. “It looks like you’re having trouble. Can I help?”

“We’ve lost all our Christmas presents somewhere on the freeway, and our alternator has gone out,” I responded weakly. Silently I wondered why is it that speaking the trouble seemed to accentuate the problem? It seemed hopeless, made worse by the thought that I would return home to my friends telling them a story of loss upon loss, despite their generosity.

“Well maybe I can help,” the officer replied, at which point my children ran to get my husband, and off they went to try to locate the site of the Christmas gift drop.

The kids and I prayed again, remembering that the meaning of the Hebrew word, Jesus, is “help, deliverance, salvation, and victory.” 

I called my parents, asking them to drive the 45 minutes to pick us up, knowing full well that they too would be stuck in Friday afternoon traffic with thousands of people who just wanted to get home for Christmas. When they arrived, my husband still had not returned. The wait was long, and our tension mounted with the ever-so-slowly passing minutes.

Well after sunset, the men returned, smiles on their faces, and all the Christmas gifts intact. 

“This really is the best Christmas ever!” we exclaimed, all of us laughing with joy and wonder!

The story unfolded. It had taken the two quite a bit of time to locate the site, but when found, the officer refused to get out and pick up the gifts. Instead, he exited the freeway and called in a tag team, which consisted of two other sheriff’s cars. They entered the freeway, lights flashing, zigzagging across seven lanes of traffic bringing it to a full stop. Not surprisingly, the seven lanes of traffic on the other side of the freeway slowed to watch. We believe they were witnessing a miracle.

The officer retrieved all the gifts, which had dropped close to the center divider, unharmed. Now here we were, all rejoicing together. Our relief and gratitude were overflowing, as we thanked the officer, who had rescued not only our gifts, but our hope, our faith, our hearts, and our Christmas! I think he may have left us as happy as we were!

What about the broken-down car? The alternator was replaced a few days later. The cost? $127! 

As we headed for the best Christmas ever, we thanked God for the miracles. I breathed a sigh of relief, Oh Lord, you have done an amazing thing for us. We asked for a miracle, and You gave it to us! You rescued us. Thank you so very much!

God’s response was a whisper in my spirit and was the best gift of all: I knew you wanted to give good gifts to your children. So, I gave them to you, not once, but twice… so that you would know that I am a good and gift-giving God, and that I love you.   

Matthew 7:11 says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” 

Trust your gift-giving God this Christmas. 

Betsy Stowe has been a pastor’s wife, a worship leader, women’s ministry director, and the happy mom of three grown children and six grandchildren. She spends her time helping women and saa good cup of coffee, a good visit with friends, a brisk walk with her husband and her dog, and a game of tag with her grandchildren. You can reach her with comments about her article at betsystowe@sbcglobal.net.

"This article was first published on November 28, 2018, at Crosswalk.com. Used with permission from the author." 

Anger Feels Powerful

Excerpted from Anger Management - Jesus Style.

Have you ever been likened to someone who is in no way similar to you? Have you ever been compared and considered worse than another person? How did you respond? Often, we feel angry and frustrated. We want to defend our good name and find a way to feel powerful, not powerless. When anger overwhelms us, we think we have the capability to correct the situation, but we realize after we calm down that nothing good was accomplished, and most often, the situation worsened.

Those situations are particularly difficult while serving in ministry. Women in our church or women’s group will point out how something should have been done differently. Or they gossip about us. Or maybe worse—or not—they tell us to our face the mistakes they think we made. Feelings of shame may overwhelm us, and we desperately want to reply with defensive words and tone. Our reputation and our image are endangered. Everything within us believes anger will communicate she is wrong, and we are right.

We can learn from Jesus, who suffered similar indiscretions and misunderstandings, how to be powerful yet in a godly way.

Let’s look at Matthew 27:20-23 to assess Jesus’s example.

“Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ And he said, ‘Why? What evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’”

In this passage, Jesus is being compared with a murderer (Mark 15:7), Barabbas, a person who hurts others, who destroys lives. That evil man was chosen over perfect Jesus by an aroused crowd who cared nothing for right thinking. A man is chosen whose murderous ways will be released upon the community, while righteous Jesus goes to the cross an innocent man. Such shameful injustice. Yet even this is God’s gracious plan.

Here’s another aspect of this scene. The chief priests and the elders are mingling amongst the crowd and riling up the bystanders. They “persuaded the crowd.” They are whispering in their ears, agreeing with words supporting their disgusting desires. And if anyone is defending Jesus, the authorities argue with them, most likely throwing their spiritual “weight” around.

Jesus stands powerlessly (it appears) before the group, choosing most of the time to be silent. From our human perspective, our inability to defend ourselves is torturous. Especially for any of us with traumatic childhoods—and who hasn’t suffered from shameful trauma? Any grimaces toward us, looks of disgust, or scowls make us feel like we are on trial and powerless to force anyone to value us.

In our humanity, we may not even want someone to know the truth about us—because unlike Jesus, we are guilty. We deserve mean grimaces, disgust, scowls, and shame. We would rather be hidden than hear the words of our sinful choices.

Yet Jesus in different moments, chooses speaking up or being silent. You and I would feel powerless as things seem to get out of hand. And that can bring a feeling of shame. That shame might come from thinking if we are worthwhile someone would stand up to our defense. If we are valued, we will be listened to. If we are esteemed, someone will come alongside. Yet Jesus has strength to calmly obey his Father, because he trusts God to do the right thing.

Jesus knows it is inevitable he will die an agonizing death. Yet, the Father kindly gives him encouragement as Pilate’s wife has a dream about Jesus and tells her husband, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man” (Matthew 27:19). Someone is speaking up for him.

Jesus doesn’t require that encouragement to trust God’s will but the Father kindly prompts it. Have you seen God’s kindness when he supports you in some way? You might not even think you need it, but another’s words of truth about you still offer you a peek into God’s care for you and ability to follow through with the best ideas. Jesus believes his suffering has a purpose; therefore, he doesn’t need to angrily shout to the crowd about the truth. He has no shame to be shielded from. His Father knows the truth and is in control. That’s enough for Jesus. That truth can be enough for you and me.

That is exactly what you and I can be assured of for ourselves. If God wants to protect us, he can prompt someone to dream about us. If God wants something to happen for or against us, he can powerfully influence the thoughts and actions of others. The only power we really need is to reject the tantalizing suggestion of withdrawing our love, irritation, discontent, grumbling, complaining, or any other form of anger.

Let’s examine our hearts to see if shame surrounds us when we feel powerless. What message does powerlessness seem to say about us? How does feeling powerless seem dangerous to our humanity—physically, emotionally, spiritually, or sexually?

Asking those kinds of questions will help us identify what is really going on in our hearts and minds, and then we’ll be able to surrender our need for power to the only one who has all power.

Kathy Collard Miller is an award-winning, bestselling author of over 60 books including Anger Management—Jesus Style and No More Anger: Hope for an Out-of-Control Mom. She writes Christian Living books, women’s Bible studies, and Bible commentaries. She blogs and writes articles on trusting God more, God’s sovereignty, marriage, parenting, and knowing God in truth.

Along with being interviewed on The 700 Club, Kathy has been featured on hundreds of podcasts, and radio and television programs.

Kathy has spoken in over 30 US states and 9 foreign countries at women’s retreats, writing conferences, MOPS, and marriage seminars. She often writes and speaks with her husband, Larry, who she married in 1970. They have two children and two grandchildren and live in Boise, Idaho.

Kathy is a founding member of AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and is active in various writers’ groups like IdaHope Christian Writers and also Christian women’s ministries like NEWIM (Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry).

Connect with her. She would love to hear from you. She also would love to meet you and help you with your writing and speaking ministry at the NEWIM Writer’s Getaway. Take advantage of her free online e-book about writing at https://www.newim.org/writing-as-a-ministry-for-gods-glory.

www.KathyCollardMiller.com
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Sacred Rhythms

Betsy Stowe and I are excited to share Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton. This book is designed to help you “arrange your life around a regular pattern of spiritual practices that God can use to nourish your soul and transform your life.” As you engage with the Lord through the practices and “open yourself to the presence of God in the places of your being where your truest desires and deepest longings stir,” you will hopefully experience a deeper relationship with God.

After completing a 10-month Spiritual Formation Cohort with NEWIM in partnership with the Fuller Center for Spiritual Formation, Betsy and I felt called to offer a Zoom book discussion of Sacred Rhythms. We learned through our Cohort that community is a crucial part of our formation so we invited women to journey with us in learning how “to open ourselves to God’s transforming love and the changes only God can bring about in our lives.” Eight women from across the country joined us in community for six sessions over Zoom. We practiced these spiritual rhythms, and God met us in our place of seeking.

We looked at the disciplines Ruth Haley Barton says, “are basic components of the rhythms of intimacy with God that feed and nourish the soul, keeping us open and available for God’s surprising initiatives in our lives.”
 
Our discussions encouraged the women to share their hearts’ longings for more and provided opportunities for each of us to create conditions where transformation could take place. It helped us develop and learn to maintain a rhythm of spiritual practices that keep us open and available to God. We created space for God through solitude. We encountered God through Lectio Divina. We learned how prayer can deepen our intimacy with God. Self-examination helped us see ourselves more clearly and discernment helped us to become attuned to the presence of God so we could align ourselves more completely with God’s will and purposes. Through learning about sabbath, we explored ways to establish a rhythm of work and rest. The rule of life challenged us to cultivate rhythms for spiritual formation going forward and how to order our life with what is true and good.
 
We prayed this book would whet the appetites of the women to delve more deeply into these practices and ask the Lord where he wanted them to begin their transformational journey with him. We shared our longings, experiences, challenges, heartaches, and questions that lingered in our hearts. We were able to listen and support each other’s desire for more of God by paying attention to the movement of God in our lives through these disciplines. We prayed for one another and encouraged each other by sharing testimonies of God’s faithfulness. Journeying together through spiritual practices opened opportunities for spiritual growth and transformation.

If you want to understand yourself more fully in your relationship with God, Betsy and I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of Sacred Rhythms and “open yourself up to God’s transforming love and the change that only God can bring about in our lives.”

Jill served on the NEWIM board for ten years and on the Arizona Springs Retreat team for three years. She was a small group mentor for the first NEWIM-Fuller spiritual formation cohort. She has also written and facilitated NEWIM’s Guided Silent Retreats.

Currently, Jill is the Coordinator of the Prayer Ministry in her Ft. Collins, CO, church and is involved in Women’s Ministry where she has led nine silent retreats.  She regularly meets with her spiritual director and meets with others for spiritual mentoring.

Betsy is a gifted vocalist and leads the worship at The Springs—Central California and NEWIM’s retreats for pastors’ wives.

Betsy has been a pastor's wife for many years and recently retired from being the Director of Women's Ministries at Living Hope Christian Fellowship in Oakdale, California.